Month: October 2017

Love can come in many forms, and sometimes may only be realized through the greatest of obstacles. Whether familial, romantic, tragic, or forbidden, Pebble Hills did a beautiful job of conveying this message in their production of METAMORPHOSES, written by Mary Zimmerman. Based on the Greek Myths of Ovid, this show features a plethora of tragic and engaging stories are told in a series of vignettes. From the breathtaking aesthetic of the show, to the impressive performances of the student actors, I couldn’t help being incredibly impressed with this production.

To begin, every single actor on stage gave a stunning performance. Because of the style of the play, there were no leads, but each performer shined within their own brief storyline. It is difficult to cite specifics because of the abundance of noteworthy performances, but some highlights include Jordan Williams as the tragically cursed Myrrha, Gene Brown as the uproariously angst-ridden Phaeton, and Zachary Rebollo as the hopelessly-in-love Vertumnus. Exhibiting a range of emotions and building realistic relationships, I truly believed every actor in their role. Equally as impressive was the fact that I could hear nearly every word that was spoken very clearly, so there was nothing to take my attention away from the heartbreaking story.

Another significant contribution was on the part of Scarlett Flores, who not only gave a phenomenal and interpretive performance as the manifestation of Hunger, but who also choreographed many of the dances and movements used throughout the show. These did a wonderful job of conveying the heart of the story artistically, and they were truly a sight to behold, such as when two forbidden lovers engaged in a tango (not to mention one of them was blindfolded). Similarly, the staging of the show as a whole was appreciated, for there never seemed to be a moment when anyone was out of place or upstaged. These aspects were also creative, such as having two people engaging in a therapy session on opposite sides of the stage, resulting in beautiful stage pictures.

However, one could not review this show without mention of the fantastic technical aspects. First off, the lights were gorgeously used, creating visions of green swirls and dark shades to invoke feelings of tragedy and Greek life. There was never a moment when an actor was in the dark, or a spotlight was delayed, which is commendable. The sound was perfect, both in selection and timing, especially the music which served as a brilliant undertone for the events at hand. One of my favorite aspects were the costumes, which covered a variety of eras from present to primitive, and were each exceedingly pleasing to the eye. Notably, a scene which displayed the extent to which these technical jobs were wonderfully executed was when a ship was sinking, complete with wind whooshing, lights flashing, and fabric flying. The show was chock-full of stunning effects such as this, so much so that I audibly gasped a number of times.

With performances and effects as strong as the heartfelt lessons the story taught, METAMORPHOSES conveyed to us all a little something about the true meaning of love, especially in some of the show’s final words, “Let me not outlive my own capacity to love”. The Spartans managed to pull off what I think, truthfully, was one of the best shows I have seen at the high school level, for which they have my utmost applause.

by Sarah Lovett of Coronado High School
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“Let me die still loving and so never die.” These words echoed across the theater, creating a chill in the air, but a warmth within the heart. Pebble Hills High School’s METAMORPHOSES beautifully captures the spirit of love. The story is broken apart into a series of shorter tales, all containing themes familiar to the human condition: love, and greed, and lust, and loss. Pebble Hills High School delivered a refreshingly genuine performance, treating these stories with utmost care and appreciation.

Even before the start of the play, sounds of ambiance flooded the theater, transporting the audience into the mythical worlds the actors were about to introduce. The combined elegance of the costumes, the skillfully-constructed set, and the technical aspects of the show created beautiful stage pictures. Never was there a dull moment with this production. The thunderous applause at the end of the show was not only for the actors, but just as much for the technicians who crafted this dazzling play into the aesthetically-pleasing dream it was.

The actors, themselves, of course, are the ones who guided us into the myriad of worlds entangled within the story of METAMORPHOSES. Audiences are first greeted by the indulgent King Midas, played by Cedric Dorman. Everything about the way Dorman carried the character of Midas reflected exactly which primal emotion this tale would teach about: greed. Dorman perfectly captured the essence of a man who would, in an instant, chose riches over family; or rather, so it seemed he would. Once his daughter’s life is gone by his own hands, Dorman’s facial expressions and desperate movements now showed a father who would do anything for his child. This shift in character dynamic was so powerful in and of itself, but also incredibly beautiful, setting the tone for the rest of the performance.

It was clear every single actor who came on stage had a connection with their characters, and were therefore able to give a spellbinding performance. Jordan Williams in particular, captures the psychological turmoil Myrrha faces after she is cursed by the goddess Aphrodite. Plagued by thoughts of her father, she is eventually driven to act upon these feelings, portrayed on stage with a breathtaking ballroom tango between Myrrha and her father. (Bravo to Scarlett Flores, the choreographer, for encompassing the complexity of this scene so beautifully.) Williams’ performance of a young girl wracked with guilt was nothing less than astonishing. Her screams and sobs the moment her father realizes the truth were enough to rip a heart in two, even knowing what she did was wrong.

In the end, METAMORPHOSES spun a tale of love, and what people are willing to do for it. The answer was given to us in a captivating manner by Pebble Hills High School. People will die for love, change for love, share, kill, betray for love. Absolutely every detail of this show astounded, and is sure to linger in audience’s minds and hearts for long after the final curtain call.

“It’s supposed to hurt, that means it meant something,” PETER AND THE STARCATCHER reminds us, and Montwood High School beautifully captured the message of this whimsical tale. The story revolves around a young and adventurous Molly Aster, and her quest to save her father from a band of pirates. Along the way, she encounters a ragtag group of orphan boys who will join her on her mission, one of whom is to become the fated Peter Pan.

Donovan Spann, who played the mischievous, orphaned boy later to be named Peter Pan, had an incredible energy on stage. His mannerisms, facial expressions, and body language worked together wonderfully to reflect just how young and innocent he is at the start of his story. His childlike grin filled hearts with tremendous amounts of joy, and his dejected pout amused all, while his emotional outbursts left audiences teary-eyed and gaping at the scene. Peter Pan’s rival, the fearsome—barely! —Captain Black Stache, played by Luisa Cuellar, proved equally strong in many aspects, especially including stage presence. Whether it was Cuellar’s lively movements across the stage, hilarious mispronunciation of words, or even the occasional anachronism, the crowd roared with laughter at any given moment this pirate captain was on stage.

Gloria Nunez, who played Ted, the food-obsessed of the orphaned trio, also had audiences giggling with her silly expressions and portrayal of a boy who just couldn’t get enough sticky pudding. Carlos Cisneros, who played both Betty Bumbrake, Molly’s bumbling nanny, and Teacher, a wise and beautiful mermaid, was brimming with energy and a presence that caused everyone to crack up anytime he said anything that was even joke-adjacent. Cyehsa Bennett, who took on a whopping total of three roles (Mack, Sanchez, and Fighting Prawn), was in the story from the beginning, as a crude caretaker for the orphans, her shouts resounding within the auditorium, all the way until the end, as a hilarious leader of an island tribe, her hysterical poses and faces leaving everyone doubled over with laughter.

Although there were a few issues with character and relationship-building on the stage, the ensemble work of the entire cast was terrific. The amazing teamwork most reflected itself within the climactic fight scene between the pirates and our heroes; there was dynamic pose after dynamic pose, as characters leapt and ducked and crawled across the stage in slow motion, creating unforgettable tableaus when characters froze mid-battle.

If ever there was anything more menacing across the seven seas, it would be the scary-good energy of this cast! As this beautiful performance drew to an end, everyone was sad to see it go. That sadness was good, however, because, as we were reminded within the final heart-warming scene of this story: that means it meant something.

Reviewed by Ana Rosales of Coronado High School

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“Home is when you’re out of the dark”, and the audience had the pleasure to see Peter, Captain Hook, and the whole Neverland gang find their “home” in Montwood High School’s charming performance of PETER AND THE STARCATCHER. Based on the novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, and adapted by Rick Elice, this touching play tells the origins of the timeless tale of Peter Pan. From swashbucklers to star-stuff, Montwood delivered with enjoyable performances as unforgettable as the classic story itself.

With each actor serving both as ensemble and a distinct character (or multiple), the entire company exhibited tremendous range. As a group, one could admire their extremely high-energy, which never faltered throughout the show. One moment when this was evident was in the “You Made a Mermaid Out of Me” sequence, in which every performer (yes, especially the men) became colorful mermaids and sang a song with such whimsy that every last audience member was smiling. They also had impressive pacing, which grabbed the audience’s attention from beginning to end. Sometimes, the quickness of this pacing could create problems with articulation, leaving some of the lines inaudible. However, this did not much hinder the story as a whole, and especially not the individual portrayals.

In the role of the precocious Molly, Vanessa Velarde was charming. She did a great job of taking us through the story, as well as believably being a young girl. The Lost Boys (Gloria Nunez, Alyssa Montano, Donovan Spann) similarly captured the youthful energy, while also being hilarious as the boyish adventurers. One of my favorite scenes of the show was when these Lost Boys comically attempted to tell a bedtime story to their capturers in order to escape. They exhibited a delightful comradery that really allowed the audience to care about what happened to the boys in their hijinks.

Notably, Spann, in the role of Peter, shone like the stardust he spends a majority of the show helping to deliver. He played his part with overwhelming emotion and charm, breaking our hearts while also bringing smiles to our faces. Additionally, many other actors gave uproarious performances in supporting roles, such as Cyesha Bennett (Sanchez), Sara Soto (Slank), and the but-gusting Carlos Cisneros (Betty Bumbrake). One actor that was definitely a stand-out was Luisa Cuellar as Captain Black Stache (aka Captain Hook). Her physicality and accent, coupled with her hilarious timing absolutely stole the show.

The technical aspects of the show were impressive as well. The effects controlled by students were seamless and mostly went unnoticed, which is a good thing in theatre. Specifically, I enjoyed the sound, both in how it was perfectly timed and seemed to blend just enough to be noticeable but without drowning out the actors. I also appreciated the way in which the students handled the creative blocking, such as holding up flags to create the illusion of a monster’s mouth, or running out screaming into the audience when they were afraid. The hard work of the crew was evident in the effortless transitions of the play.

Though there were errors, Montwood’s production of PETER AND THE STARCATCHER succeeded in telling a lovely story, and by highlighting the talent of their students. Due to the efforts of the crew and the portrayals of the actors, one could definitely say this show was “Darling”!

Coronado High School’s production of “Failure: A Love Story” was far from a failure. Failure: A Love Story follows three sisters in a rather cheerful, yet macabre manner. The Fail family, originally known as the Failbottom family, suffered many losses; first the parents, then Nelly, then Jenny June, and finally Gerty, in that order. While the Fails suffered from many losses, the one thing that prevailed was love. Love filled the family’s home, seen in the siblings and the love interest, Mortimer Mortimer.

The Fail family was far from normal. Nelly Fail (Sarah Lovett), Jenny June Fail (Ana Rosales), and Gerty Fail (Brianna Jimenez) were the heart and soul of the production. The girls interacted well with each other and made it truly feel like a family. The sisters were there for each other through the hardest times and through the more lighthearted scenes. They all had phenomenal stage presence and kept the show interesting.

Nelly Fail (Lovett) was the youngest and first to die within the Fail siblings. Lovett’s stage presence was strong and she did an amazing job playing both a child and an adult with a seamless transition. Her love for Mortimer Mortimer (Fernando Romero) felt authentic and let the audience fall in love with both characters. Her untimely death created a framework to the play and created a sense of unity with the rest of the characters.

Jenny June Fail (Rosales) was the middle child and the second to die. Jenny June was far from timid. Rosales accurately played the determined and comedic character. Her funny moments left the audience laughing and her determination was truly shown throughout the show.

Gerty Fail (Jimenez) was the eldest and the last to die. Jimenez accurately played the eldest sister who was a stickler for the rules. Although she played the most static character, she did play it well. Her love for her younger sisters felt genuine and so was her love for Mortimer Mortimer.

The set was rather simple, but it was still done well, the props truly made it feel alive. The snakes, clocks, and birds- which were also actors- created a lovely ambiance which helped push the show along. Although there were some issues with the lighting, the actors worked around it to produce a great show.

Coronado High School’s production of “Failure: A Love Story” truly showed how mortality and love play vital roles in everyone’s lives.

by Sarah Oberman of Loretto Academy

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Failure, it’s a part of life, but for the Fail family, it’s a way of life. Coronado’s production of “Failure: A Love Story”, was an excellent portrayal of this tragic/comedy. The show starts with a scene of a young looking couple on a car ride and then tragedy strikes. Mr. and Mrs. Fail were now the late Fails. Their three daughters and one son must now continue the life of the “Fail Clockworks” shop for their parents’ name. Little do they know that more misfortune would soon happen.

The oldest daughter Gerty, Brianna Jimenez, took responsibility in maintaining the shop while depicting wonderful characterization, along with her other sisters Jenny June and Nelly. Nelly, Sarah Lovett, started as a baby and her character change from child to young women was incredible. Anyone could tell these ladies have worked on creating a character for this show. Another honorable mention would be Mortimer Mortimer, Fernando Romero, as he played a young man hopelessly in love, with ease. Every character that interacted with him had such great chemistry on stage it was implausible. Not to mention John Fail, Isaiah Dawkins, as the brother/animal whisperer. He automatically gained the audiences condolences when he has a heart breaking scene with the Dog, Ethan Namiot.

The story continues over a course of a month and one by one the Fail sisters fall in love with the charming Mortimer. Their love seems never ending until misery holds each of the sisters by the throat. It seems that they will never get their shot to be married happily and just when their hopes are raised, they crash and fall.

Lighting was used excellently, though there were a few problems with spot light at times, the light cues were mainly on point. On another note, I admired the ensemble work of the clocks, whether it was the ticking or when they spoke as a chorus, it was spectacular. Throughout the narration, there were a few problems with articulation and volume, which made it a little harder to follow the story, but overall the dictation of the cast was respectable. Another thing to mention would have to be the clocks. Never once did I look back at the clocks and see them stop. They made it believable that they were actual clocks.

I completely and thoroughly enjoyed the show through tears and giggles and give Coronado’s Thunder Theatre a round of applause for the exceptional performance of “Failure: A Love Story.” “Remember to tell them we are not late, but that we are on our way.”

Cappies

The El Paso Cappies Blog is here to provide information about high school theater in El Paso. We will be providing reviews of shows past and previews of shows to come. Most of our content will be student generated.